Expansible packer for hydraulic plungers



y 1931- H E. E. MILLER 1,806,078

EXPANSIBLE PACKER FOR HYDRAULIC PLUNGERS Filed Oct. 20, 1926 Patented May 19, i 1931 UNITED STATES:

ERWIN E. MILLER, OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA EXPANSIBLE PACKER FOR HYDRAULIC PLUNGERS Application filed October 20, 1926. Serial No. 142,885.

7 This invention relates to improvements in pumps or the like having expansible pistons or plungers. This invention contemplates several improvements over the construction disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 107 ,994 filed May 10, 1926.

In my pending application there is disclosed a portion of a pump having an expansible piston or plunger and a crosshead of the pump into which is threaded the end of the plunger rod. The plunger rod is locked in adjusted position by a lock nut and about the plunger rod there is disposed a sleeve which on rotation will cause expansion of the packing in the piston or plunger. In my prior construction this sleeve is held in adjusted position by a jam nut threaded onto the end of the sleeve and which is designed to be tightened against the lock nut which looks the plunger rod in adjusted position.

Experience has developed that tightening and loosening of this jam nut to permit expansionof the packing on rotation of the sleeve causes the threads on the sleeve to become badly damaged and stripped so that in the course of time it is very diflicult to use the jam nut eifectively to hold the sleeve in adjusted position. a

One object of this invention is to provide 30 an improved construction which will serve to hold the sleeve in adjusted position in a better and more efiicient manner and which will not become as easily Worn.

Another object of this invention is to improve the construction of the heads forming the expansible plunger or piston which will facilitate the assembling of the piston in its cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide an improved construction of plunger rod. Heretofore in plungers of this type it has been customary to form the rod with enlargements on each end, one enlargement being threaded soas to be screwed into the crosshead of the pump, and the other enlargement having mounted thereon one or more parts of the piston. In forming the plunger rodit has been customary to form these enlargements by turning down the central portion of the rod to receive the adjusting sleeve or, as disclosed in my prior application, to turn off most of the rod except for one end so that it will receive the adjusting sleeve and to place on the other end an externally threaded sleeve which forms the enlargement on that end. By the improved construction of plunger rod, this turning down which requires a waste of time, labor and material is completely eliminated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial sectional view illustrating a portion of the pump in which the improved piston orplunger is disposed and illustrating the improved construction for holding the adjusting sleeve in adjusted position. v I

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 22 of Fig. '1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the heads employed in constructing the improved expansible plunger, and

Fig. 4c is a view in elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 4 upon Fig. 3.

Referring to theaccompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the crosshead of the pump is indicated at 10 and the plunger rod is indicated at 11. Plunger rod 11, adjacent its crosshead end, is threaded and has screwed thereon an externally threaded sleeve 12, providing the enlargement on that end of the plunger rod. The end of the sleeve 12 is coned out or under cut as indicated at 13, and the end of the rod 11 is up set, thus locking the sleeve on the plunger rod. The sleeve 12 is screwed into thecrosshead 10 and is locked in position thereon by the lock nut 14. The other end of the plunger rod 11 is threaded as indicated at 15 and is provided with an externally threaded sleeve 16.. The sleeve provides the enlargement on the other end of the rod and also relatively coarse heavy threads. It is tightened into position by .apj upon the sleeve 16, having a closed hub-21 enclosing the end of the sleeve 16 and the end of the plunger rod 11. Between the'two heads there is disposed an expansiblepacking 22, preferably in theform of a closed annular rubber ring. ."As the opposed faces of the two heads 19 and 20 are frusto conical in' form, it will be understood-that if the.

heads are moved toward each other that they will force the packing outwardly between them so as-to expand the packing. The heads 19 and 20 are provided with projections .23, which interfit and serve to lock the heads-against relative rotation. One important feature of the improved device consists of forming these projections so that they are tapered, tapering toward edges 24L. In my prior construction the projections are shownas-havingsides which are parallel to the axis ofthe plunger rod. In the improved construction the size of the projections are otherwise and taper or converge toward the edges 24:. This materially facilitates theassembly of the plungerand while the looseness between the projections permits the heads to rotate to a slight degree relatively to each other-such limitedrotation is not disadvantageous. The packing tending to separate the headskeeps the projections bearing against-each other so that there is no loosenessof the heads under ordinary conditions.

As'clearlyshownupon Figure 1 the-end-of the sleeve 16 is beveled-off as indicated at 25 and the head 19 has a complementaryseating surface adapted to seatagainst it'limiting longitudinal movement of the head19 and thesleeve 18'. This is an important feature of the construction in that the head-'19, seating on the sleeve 16, forms a seal preventing the flow of fluid through the head 19. Plungers of this type are designed for pumping mud or a liquid containing grit, The liquid -is -sand and other matter. pumped under a high pressure and if there is any leakage the sand in the liquid will very quickly cut away metallic parts; The seal, above referred to, is a precautionary measure against this cutting away. Leakage cannot take place between. the sleeve 16 and the head 20 beyond that-amountavhich is necessary to fill the closed :hub 21. In this way the improved construction provides against leakage which would quickly cut away its parts.

In order to expand the packing 22, it is merely necessary to rotate the sleeve '18 which will cause the head 19 to rotate and which, because of the interfitting projections 23, will cause the head 20 to rotate and to screw upon the sleeve 16.

As previously explained some difficulty has heretofore been experienced in providing an efficient lock for locking :the sleeve 18 in ad justedposition. If-aj am nut is threaded onto the sleeve 18 it will become worn the nut 26 is screwed toward=the .looknut 14 the sleeve 18 can then be rotated. Inorder to lock the sleeve 18 in adjusted position, the nut 26 is tightened toward the sleeve 18, causing the split halves of the. washer :28. to apply pressure directly to the end of the sleeve 18, forcing the head 19 against the sleeve 16 so that it'will-xbe frictionall-y held in adjusted .position and simultaneously forming atight seal at'25. Asthe sleeve 12 is usually formed of agood grade of steel ascompared with the steel used informing the sleeve 18, the threads on it .are much stronger and are capable of standing :successive tightenings and .looseningsaof the vnut 26' to permit adjustment.

From theabove described construction it will be appreciated that'a-novel pump is pro vided havingseveral improvements over the construction disclosed in my pending application.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the detail of construction without departing fromthe spirit andiscope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.-

' I claim: 1

1. In a pump orthe like,-aplunger rod, a-sleeve disposed-about-the :p'lunger'rod, a head rigidly mounted upon the sleeve, a :second head threadedly -mounted upon the plunger rod, an-expansible packing disposed between the heads, there being "projections on the opposed "faces of the heads locking the heads against relativerotation, the projections on each head being tapered toward the opposite head.

*2. In a mud pump or the like -a cross head,- a plungerrod, a piston 'on the plunger rod, the crosshead' end of the plunger rod having a threaded sleeve secured thereabout which is screwedinto the-crosshead. .3. 'In-a mudipump or the like a cros'shea'd, a plunger rod, both ends of the plunger rod having externallythreaded sleeves threadedly mounted thereon, one sleeve being screwed into the crosshead, and a piston having at least one member screwed on to the other sleeve.

4. In a mud pump or the like a crosshead, a plunger rod, externally threaded sleeves threaded on to the plunger rod, one being screwed into the crosshead, an adjusting sleeve disposed about the plunger rod, a head rigidly mounted upon the adjusting sleeve, a second head threaded on to the other ex ternally threaded sleeve, an expansible packing between the heads, means for locking said heads against relative rotation whereby upon rotating the adjusting sleeve said heads may be rotated, causing the packing to expand.

5. In a mud pump or the like a crosshead, a plunger rod, externally threaded sleeves threaded on to the plunger rod, one being screwed into the crosshead, an adjusting sleeve disposed about the plunger rod, a head rigidly mounted upon the adjusting sleeve, a second head threaded on to the other externally threaded sleeve, an expansible packing between the heads, means for locking said heads against relative rotation whereby upon rotating the adjusting sleeve said heads may be rotated, causing the packing to expand, a nut threaded on to the threaded sleeve which is screwed into the crosshead, and a split washer fitting around the plunger rod between the adjusting sleeve and the threaded sleeve in the crosshead, the halves of the split washer being recessed in said nut whereby on tightening the nut toward the adjusting sleeve the split washer will bear thereagainst and frictionally hold the adjusting sleeve against rotation.

6. In a pump or the like having a cross head, a plunger rod connected thereto, a sleeve about the plunger rod, a plunger having an expansible packing mounted upon the plunger rod, means for causing the packing to be expanded upon relative rotation between the sleeve and rod, a nut threadedly mounted upon the plunger rod, and a split washer, the halves of which are recessed in the nut and interposed between the nut and the cross head end of the sleeve, whereby upon tightening the nut toward the sleeve, the sleeve may be held in adjusted position.

7. A head for expansible plungers comprising an annular body having projections formed upon one of its faces adapted to enter between projections on acomplementary head to lock the heads against relative rotation, said projections being tapered toward their outer ends.

8. A head for plungers comprising an annular body having a frustro-conical surface against which packing is adapted to be disposed, there being projections on the body within said frustro-conical surface adapted to enter between projections on a complesleeve on the cross head end of the plunger 7 rod and screwed into the cross head, a nut on the threaded sleeve adapted to be tightened against the cross head, and a second nut on a threaded sleeve adapted to force the first mentioned sleeve longitudinally with respect to the plunger rod to hold the first mentioned sleeve in place.

10. In a mud pump or the like, a cross head, a plunger rod, a piston on the plunger rod, the cross head end of the plunger rod having a threaded sleeve secured thereabout which is screwed into the cross head, and a nut on a threaded sleeve adapted to be tightened against the cross head.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ERWIN E. MILLER. 

